Prepayment gas-meter.



- No. 760,721. v PATENTED MAY 24, 19-04.

I s. ARONSON. PREPAIYMENT GAS METER.

APPLICATION P ILED JAN. 12, 1904.

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.Patented. May 24, 1904. I

' SAUL ARONSON," Ola-BROOKLYN, NEW- YonK.

PREPAYMENT GAS-METER. o.

I SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 760,721, dated May 24", 1904. Application fi1ed, -Tannaryll.2,.1904. s rain). 188,622. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

V of the United States,'and aresident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented a n'ewand useful Improvement in Prepayment Gas-Meters, of-

which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in 7 be'vended, the pressure of the gas being kept up until thesupply is shut off insteadof the pressure being gradually lessened, as has hitherto been common. 3 1

Afurtherlobject is to provide certain improvements in the construction, form, and arrangementof the several parts of the vending apparatus whereby the same is operated with a small amount of friction, thus rendering it particularly applicable for gas-vending machines. 1

. A'practical embodimentof my invention is representedin the accompanying drawings, in

Figure 1 represents a portion of a gas-me- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the vending-apparatus casing,

1 a portion of the gas-inlet andits valve mechanism being shown" 1n section to moreclearly indicate the operation of. the valve. Fig. 4 is a Vertical section through theyending apparatus and casing, taken in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail longitudinal central section through the valvecontrolling'shaft and its adjacent parts, and" Fig. 6 is a face View ofthe cam-gear which I controls the opening and closing of the valve;

I have represented in detail herein only so much of the coin-actuated mechanismof the gas-vending machine as will permit a clear understanding of the operation of the vending apparatus itself, the coin-actuated mechanism forming the subject-matter of a companion case filed by me January 16-, 1904, its serial number being 189,386.

The gas-fmeter -may be of any well-known ofthe meter-1.; The gas-inlet-chamber"? is provided within the casing 6, which chamber 7 communicates, through a valve 8, with a tube 9, which leads to the meter. This valve 8 is carried by an 16 to permit a v v j and 'approved' form and is hereindenotedby 1. Be it known that I, SAUL ARONSQN, a citizen The gas-inletisdenoted by 2,"and the outlet by .3.'. I v I v The usual rotary meter-shaft is denoted by 4, which meter-shaft drives the registering- 6 and is here shown as attachedto the front arm- 10,- which extends upwardly withinthe chamber 7 and is locked to a rock-shaft 11,

. UN ED STATES PATENT iOF FIC E. Q l

mounted in suitable packed bearings-12 inthe front-wall of the chamber 7, which shaft 11 is provided exterior'to the chamber 7 with a controlling shaft-16.. This valve-controlling shaft 16 is mounted in suitable bearingsWithin the casing 6 and is drivenby the following connection with the meter shaft 4 A shaft -17'ismounted in the top of the meter in suitable-bearings, which shaft is provided with'agear 18, which meshes with a worm 19 on the meter-shaft 4. This shaft 17 projects into the casing 6 and isfthere provided with a worm 20,-'which meshes witha gear21', carried bya stud-shaft 22..,- This stud-shaft 22 is provided with a spur-gear 23, which intermesheswith a spur-gear 24, and a spurgear 24* in turn intermeshes w th a spur-gear 25,

fixed to the shaft 16... The speed of rotation imparted to theshaft 16 from themeter-shaft 4 maybe adjusted by mounting the spur-gears 24 '24? on a stud-axle26, which is secured in an elongated slot 27, concentric with the axis of the-shaft 22, so that the shaft 26 11133 be clamped at different distances from the 'sha ft gear 24*- of varyingsizcs to be used.

a direction'to open or close the valve8 by the 1 following mechanism: A sleeve-28; is loosely mounted on the shaft 16, whichlsleeve has The slidingt'sleeve l5 is positively movedin vnine teeth and the gear 29 with sixty teeth.

A rocking lever is pivoted at 31 to abracket 32, carried by the gear 30, one arm, 33, of

which rocking leveris engaged with a circumferential groove 34 in the sleeve 15 and the other arm, 35, of the lever being engaged with the cam 36 of the cam-gear 29. The connection between the cam 36 and arm 35 is such that the lever is positively rocked in the one or the other direction. An outer sleeve 37 is loosely mounted on the sleeve 28, which sleeve 37 is provided with an arm 38, the free end of which carries a stud axle or pin 39. A pinion 40 is mounted on thestud-axle 39, the teeth of which pinion intermesh with the teeth of the gears 30 and 29. This outer sleeve-37 has fixed thereto a gear 41, which is positively driven in one direction by the gear 42 of the coin actuated mechanism. The coin actuated mechanism forms no part of this present case, and a description thereof will not be presented herein, it being sufiieient to an understanding of the invention that means are provided for positively rotating the sleeve 37 in one direction. 'As the pinion 10 is retated around the peripheries of the gears 30 and'29 the gear 29 willbe slowly rotated and the gear 30 held stationary, because of the geared connection with the meter-shaft, which prevents any movement of the gear 30 except' when the valve-controlling shaft 16 is rotated by the rotarymovement of the metershaft. This movement will cause the cam 36 to slowly'travel through the arm 35 of the rocking lever 33 35. The shape of the cam 36is such that as the gear 29 is started on its rotary movement the rock-lever 35 33 will be moved ina direction to slide the sleeve along the shaft 16, serving to rock the shaft 11 through the arm 13, and thereby open the valve 8, carried by the arm 10. The cam 36 is caused to travelalong through the arm 35 of the rocking lever a distance corresponding to the number of rotations of the sleeve 37. The number of these rotations is controlled by the coin-actu ated mechanism. After the cam-gear 29 has been moved a predetermined distance, determined by the number of rotations of the sleeve 37, the gas-meter shaft 4 will begin to "rotate, owing to the opening of the valve 8,

thereby rotating the shaft 16. This rotary movement of the shaft 16 will cause the gears 29 and 30 to be rotated. Because the gear 29 is provided with more teeth than the gear 30 the gear 29 will be caused to rotate slower than the gear 30, thus causing the cam 36 to slowly travel through the arm of the rocking lever 35 33 back to its normal position. The cam 36 is caused to travel along through the arm 35 of the rocking lever a distancecorresponding to the number-of rotations of the sleeve 37. The number of these rotations is controlled by the coin-actuated mechanism. After the sleeve 37 is rotated the predetermined number of times, according to the coiliactuated mechanism,the gas-meter shaft 4. will begin to rotate, owing to the opening of the valve 8, thereby rotating the shaft 16 in a direction to cause it to return the gears 30 and 29 to their normal position. As before described, the shape of the cam 36 is such that when the gear 29 returns to its normal position the rocking lever 35 33 will be rocked a distance sufiicient to close the valve 8 through the sleeve 15 and rock-shaft 11. This will cut off the supply of gas and automatically stop the further movement of the gears 29 and 30. If from any accident there is a leakage of the gas, the construction of the cam 36 is such that the gears 29 and 30 may be continued'in their movement, thus preventing the breaking or binding of the mechanism until the leak can be stopped.

For the purpose of indicating the amount of rotary movement imparted to the sleeve 37 the shaft 16 may be provided with a pointer 43 and the sleeve 28 with a dial is, the dial and pointer being located within the casing 6. Furthermore, the coin-actuated mechanism which-is shown herein may be provided with a suitable operating-handle L5, located exterior to the casing 6 The mechanism which I have described for vending the gas is one which is extremely simple and positive in its action and which may be driven with a small amount of friction. Furthermore, it provides for a device in which different amounts of gas may be vended be tween very wide margins, the amount varying according to the distance which the gear 29 is caused to travel relative to the gear 30.

While I have described this mechanism in connection with a gas-vending machine, it is to be understood that it is well adapted for use in connection with the vending of any commodity in which a predetermined quantity is to be delivered, controlled by the opening and closing of a valve.

VVhatI claim is- 1. vending mechanism comprising a Valve, a rotary shaft, a slidingsleeve carried by. theshaft, a rock-shaft having one arm engaged with the valve and another arm with the sleeve, means under the control of the movement of the rotary shaft for controlling the sliding movement of the sleeve to open and close the valve and means for sliding the sleeve independently of the rotary movement of the shaft.

2. A vending mechanism comprising a valve, a rotary shaft, a sliding sleeve on the shaft for controlling the movements of the valve, a gear fixed to the shaft, a cam-gear loosely mounted on the shaft arranged to travel at a different speed than the first-named gear when the shaft is rotated, a rocking lever carried by the first-named gear engaged with the sleeve and cam for controlling the movements of the sleeve and thereby the admission-valve.

3. A vending mechanism comprising, a valve, a, rotary'shaft, a valve-controlling sliding sleeve thereon and means for'controlling the movement of the sleeve comprising a gear fixedto the :shaft, a rocking lever carried thereby, agear looselymounted on the shaft,

a cam thereon engaging the rocking lever and a common pinion for the two gears, the loose gear having a different number of teeth than the shaft-gear;

4. A vending mechanism comprising a valve, a rotary shaft, a valve-controlling sliding sleeve on the rotary shaft and means for,

controlling the movementof the sleeve comprising a gear fixed to the shaft, a rockinglesaid shaft-gear being arranged to drive the cam-gear at a different speedwhen the rotary shaft is driven by the gas-meter shaft. 7

. 5. A vending mechanism comprising a valve, a rotary shaft, a valve-controlling sliding sleeve carried thereby and means for slid ing the sleeveto open and close the-valvecomver carried thereby engaging the sleeve, a

cam-gear loosely mounted on the shaft engaging the lever, said cam-gear having a differ-. ent number ofteeth than the shaft-gear, a

' common pinion for the two gears, means for controlling its rotary movement bodily around the gears and a dial and pointer controlled by the shaft and cam gears.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as w my invention I have signed my name, in pres- 7 prising a gear fixed to the shaft, a rocking-leence of two Witnesses, this 9th day of January,

1904. b I SAUL ARONSON.

Witnesses i FREDK. HAYNES, O. S. SUNDGREN. 

